This invention relates generally to a safety closure container combination wherein the container has a conventional overcap of the snap-fit type. More particularly, the invention is concerned with an annular collar means for preventing removal of a non-rotatable overcap from a container by a child but whose removal does not present too great a problem for an adult.
The storage of medicines, household cleaning agents and other substances, which may be toxic or poisonous if used indescriminately, in order to prevent access thereto by children has received considerable attention. This has resulted in the availability of a variety of safety closure assemblies for medicine vials and the like. A prior art child resistant container assembly such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,589 is illustrative of the type wherein a latching means and overcap rotate freely relative to the container and removal of the cap can take place only when the cap is pressed tightly against the rim of the container and held there while a latch ring is turned relative to both container and cap. Safety closures of this type do not maintain the overcap in sealing engagement with the upper end of the container as is generally desirable to protect the contents of the container from contamination or entry of moisture into the container or escape of volatile components from the container. U.S. Pat. No. 3,450,290 provides a safety closure for a container with an enlarged lip wherein a means for constricting an overcap preventing removal thereof over the enlarged lip of the container is provided. The constricting means is rotatable with respect to the cap and the container and after aligning keys extending from the overcap with key way slots in the latching means, the latching means must be moved axially in order to release the overcap from constriction and permit removal. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,584,760, a safety cap assembly for containers is provided wherein the overcap has a thumb piece lift and is connected to the container by a tie element. Access to the thumb piece lift is prevented by an annular rim blocking means biased by a spring means so that an access notch in the rim means is normally not in alignment with the thumb piece lift.